Administratrix of  george



No. 6|,458. Patented Sept. 6, |898. G. M. PETERSON, Decd. M. A. PETERSON, Administratrx. FRUIT GRADER.

(Application filed July 28, 1897.) (N0 Model.) 2 S ef l.l

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No. s|o,458. Parental Sept. 6, |898. G. M. PETERSON, new.

M. A. PETERSON, Admnistratrix.

FRUIT GRADER.

(Application led July 2S, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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25 uniform grades.

4o frame of the machine.

Nrn-3D STATES i PATENT EFTCE.

MARTHA A. PETERSON, OE SALEM, OREGON, ADMINISTRATRIx OE lGEORGE M. PETERSON, DEOEASED.

- FRUIT-G RADER.

srEcIFIcATIoNforming part of nemers Patent No. eid-15e, dated Aseptinter 6,1898.

Application inea July 28,1897. serai No.' 646,233. (No model.)

. gon, administratrix of the estate of GEORGE M. PETERSON, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, inthe county of Marion and- State ofY Oregon, do hereby declare that GEORGE M; PETERSON in- Io vented a new and-useful Improvement in Fruit-Graders, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to fruit` graders, and more especially to that class of grading-machines which are employed for assorting or separating prunes intoy different grades.

To this end the invention primarily contemplates an improvement upon the construction disclosed in the allowed application of zo George M.Peterson, Serial No. 537, 969, whereby the gradingshoes or sections of the machine shall be mounted and'operated in such a manner as to'insure a thorough screening or separating ofthe prunes or other fruit into With these'and other obj ects in view,fwhich will readily appear as vthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the construction, novel combination,

3o and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a prune-grader embodying'th'e improvements contemplated by this invention.

3 5 Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 8 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 isa perspective view of the two independently-movable sets of grading-shoes-removed from the main Fig. 5 vis a detail in perspective of the operating connections for vibrating the two independent sets of grading-shoes.'V f l Referring to .the accompanying` drawings,

the numeral l designates the upright stationary frame of the machine, essentially comprising a series of corner-posts 2,*'conn'ected at suitable points by horizontal frame-'bars 3. Arranged to vibrate within the stationary 5o frame l of the machine is a series of superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes 4, extending the full length of the frame. The grading-shoes 4 are arranged one above the other in zigzag relation and alternately inoline in opposite directions, respectively, toward opposite ends of the stationary machineframe, and each of said grading-shoes 4 essentially comprises an elongated rectangular casing having a perforate bottom screen 5 and an upper imperforate'.delivery-board 6, arranged parallelwith the bottom screen 5 and disposed directly under the bottom screen 5 of the superadjacent shoe, so as to receive thereon the separations which pass through perforations of this screen. In each gradingshoe 4 the upper flat imperforate deliveryboard 6 has the upper or higher end thereof terminate short of one end of the shoe-casing at a point approximately below the lower endof the bottom screen 5 of the superadjacent grading-shoe, so as to permit the fruit which passes over the screen of one shoe to iiow into the subadjacent shoe onto the upper or higher end of vthescreen ofksuch shoe.` ,While the upper or higher end of the flat delivery-board 6V of each'grading-shoe terminates 'short of one end ofthe shoe, the other Or lower end of said boardis extended beyond one end of the shoe, so as to overhang and work directly over an open chute-box 7, secured in a transverse position against one end of thestationary frame of thegmachine, 4l,f and serving to receive lthe grade of fruit or prunesdelivered thereto from the delivery-board overhanging the same..l A series of the open chute-boxes '7l is employed, and such ,boxes 4are suitably supported'atopposite ends of the stationary machine-frame, 4so that,4 there Will be one of such boxes for use in connection Iwith the iiat imperforate delivery-board of each gradingshoe.

The grading-shoes 4 are duplicates in construction, excepting the uppermost and lowermost shoes, the uppermost of said' shoes simply being provided With a perforate bottom IOO ing to hold a supply of the unassorted fruit or prunes which are to be fed onto the uppermost grading-shoe. The lowermost gradingshoe of the series is a duplicate in construction of the other shoes with the exception of having the lower side thereof inclosedgby an imperforate apron or delivery-board Gf, which receives the last grade of fruit from the bot-A tom screen 5 of the superadjacent gradingshoe and conducts the same into a receiving bor;Y or receptacle 10, mounted within the bottom part of the machine-frame. It will of course be understood thatthe perforations in the bottom screens of the grading-shoes progressively increase in size towardthe lowermost shoe, so that the screen-perforations of each succeeding lower shoe are larger than those of the immediately-preceding shoe, whereby successive separations will take A'place and the prunes or fruit of one size screened onto one of the flat delivery-boards and from thence discharged into the end chute-box '7.

The several superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes are entirely disconnected at their ends and are grouped together into separate independently-movable sets, each set of grading-shoes comprising alternate parallel shoes. The several alternate parallel grading-shoes of each set are rigidly connected together for movement in unison by means y of a series of verticallydisposed metallic f rame-strips 11, bolted or otherwise suitably secured, as at 12, to opposite sides of the shoes,

-near the ends thereof, and in order to maintain the fixed parallel relation of the gradingshoes of each set such shoes also have arranged at opposite sides thereof the diagonal bracestrips 13, bolted or otherwise suitably fastened to the sides of the shoes which they connect; so it will be observed that the strips 11 and 13 for each set of shoes comprise a frame or framework, to which such shoes are rigidily connected, whereby it is simply necessary to vibrate such frame or framework to provide for the vibration of the grading-shoes carried thereby. There is a separate frame or framework of strips for each set of the grading-shoes, as already explained, and to provide means for hanging the separate sets of gradingshoes for vibration within the main stationary frame 1 of the machine there is employed at each corner of the main stationary frame a bell-crank hanger-plate 14, pivotally fastened, as at 15, to a lixed supporti ing-plate 16, bolted or otherwise rigidly seentire series of grading-shoes will cause such shoes to swing on the bellcrank hangerplates and necessarily move in an upward and downward direction. Since the bell-crank hanger-plates have one arm connected with the frame or framework for one set of shoes and their other arms connected with the frame or framework for the other set of shoes, one set of shoes will necessarily be caused to move in an upward direction, while the other set of shoes simultaneously moves in an opposite direction, so that the two sets of grading-shoes may be said to simultaneously vibrate up and down in opposite directions.

To provide for imparting the necessary longitudinal vibration or movement to the loosely-suspended grading-shoes within the stationary frame, there is employed an oscillating operating-lever 18. The oscillating operating-1ever18 is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends, as at 19, in the suitable supporting-bracket 20, fastened to one of the corner-posts of the main frame, and the inner end of said lever 18 has pivotally or loosely connected therewith one end of the connecting-links 21, .which diverge from their point of connection with the operating-lever 18 and are pivotally fastened at their other ends, as at 22, respectively, to adjacent grading-shoes belonging to different sets. The outer end of the oscillating operating-lever 18 has pivotally connected thereto one end of a pitman 23, the other end of which pitman has a crankpin connection 24 with a crank-wheel 25, suitably supported at one side of the machineframe 1 and receiving motion from a drivebelt 26, passing over a drive-belt wheel 27, mounted at the same side of the frame 1 as the crank-wheel 25 and having a crank-handle connection 28 therewith,so that the same maybe readily turned to provide for communicating motion to the two sets of superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes hung within the frame 1. The oscillation of the operating-lever 18 causes both sets of grading-shoes to be moved in a longitudinal direction,which movement, through the medium of the bell-crank hanger-plates 14, at the same time imparts an up-and-down movement or vibration to each set of shoes, as already explained, which compound movement causes a sufficient violent agitation or vibration of the shoes to insure a thorough separation of the fruit or prunes into uniform grades.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruit-grader, an upright stationary frame, a series of superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes arranged within the said frame, framework rigidly connecting each set IOO IIO

of alternate parallel shoes, a common swinging support for both sets of connected shoes,

and means for simultaneously moving both sets of shoes in a longitudinal direction, the movement of said swinging supports serving to impart to the two sets of shoes a vertical vibration respectively in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fruit-grader, an upright stationary frame, a series of superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes arranged within said frame, a framework rigidly connecting each set of alternate parallel shoes, and means for imparting a longitudinal vibration to all of the shoes and a simultaneous vertical vibration to the two sets of shoes, respectively, in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fruit-grader, an upright stationary frame, a series of superposed oppositely-inclined grading shoes arranged within the frame, a framework connecting the alternate parallel shoes of each set, a common support for both sets of connected shoes, and means for imparting a longitudinal reciprocatory movement to both sets of shoes and a simultaneous up-and-down movement respectively in opposite directions, substantially as described.

4. In a fruit-grader, an upright stationary frame, a series of superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes arranged in said frame, a framework rigidly connecting the alternate parallel shoes of each set, bell-crank hangerplates pivotally supported at the corners of the stationary frame and having their sepa rate arms respectively connected with the separate sets of shoes, and operating connections with the two seis of shoes for swinging the same on the bell-crank hanger-plates, substantially for the purpose set forth.

5. In a fruit-grader, an upright stationary frame, a series of superposed oppositely-inclined grading-shoes arranged Within the stationary frame, a framework of strips rigidly connecting the alternate parallel gradingshoes of each set, bell-crank hanger-plates pivotally supported at the corners of the stationary frame and having their separate arms respectively connected with the separate sets of grading-shoes, an oscillating operating-lever 18 pivotally supported intermediate its ends at one corner of the stationary frame, a pair of connecting-links 2l loosely connected at one end with the inner end of said lever, and at their other ends, respectively, connected with grading-shoes belonging to different sets, and a suitable pitman connection 23 with the outer end of the said operating-lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the invention of GEORGE M. PETERSON I have heretoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTHA A. PETERSON, Admt'm'stmtm'w of the estate of George lll. Pe-

terson, deceased.

Witnesses:

S. T. RICHARDSON, P. H. DARcv. 

